Department Who’s Who in Administration & Finance





 

WHO:

For further information on this or other HUB vendors contact the University of Houston HUB Operations Department:

Sandra G. Webb – (713) 743-5662
E-mail: sgwebb@central.uh.edu

Please be sure to check out Vendor Special Offers by visiting the HUB Home Page by clicking here!

New Gift Card Request Form

Gift cards are purchased for several reasons that benefit the university, such as compensating participants in research studies (also known as human subjects), awarding employees for outstanding service, or rewarding individuals for completing university surveys or attending university-sponsored events. However, the purchase and distribution of gift cards must be closely monitored to ensure they are used appropriately.

Therefore, effective immediately the purchase of all gift cards, whether reimbursed to an employee or purchased directly from a vendor with a voucher or local P-Card, must be documented by completing the Gift Card Request Form, which is located on the Finance Forms page: http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/forms.htm

The Gift Card Request Form must be uploaded as backup to the voucher or P-Card transaction.

Gift cards must be kept in a secure campus location (e.g., locked drawer or safe) until distributed. The distribution of the gift cards/certificates must be documented, including date of distribution, name of recipient, and signature of recipient acknowledging the receipt. If the gift cards are for a confidential human subject study, the department must retain distribution records in their files for seven fiscal years after the grant expires. Otherwise, distribution records must be uploaded to the voucher or P-Card document page in the Finance System when the distribution is complete.

Someone other than the gift card custodian will review the gift card records at least once a month to verify that all distributed and undistributed gift cards are accounted for and will report any discrepancies to the College/Division Administrator.

If the department awards a gift card/certificate to an employee, the department is also responsible for reporting this amount to the Tax Department as the employee’s taxable benefit in accordance with SAM 03.D.06. If the department awards a gift card/certificate to a non-employee and the total amount received by the non-employee in a calendar year is $600 or more, the department is responsible for submitting the non-employee’s W-9 Form and reporting the amount to Accounts Payable, so that the non-employee can be issued a Form 1099-MISC.

If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Service Center at 3-3988 or CSC@uh.edu.

P-Card and Travel Card Red Flags

The following “red flags” are intended to help administrators and reviewers of P-Card and Travel Card transactions identify possible unauthorized transactions. The intentional unauthorized use of a P-Card or Travel Card is considered fraud. While the following “red flags” are not necessarily proof that fraud has occurred, they should be investigated and explained. If fraud is suspected, it should be reported in accordance with SAM 01.C.04, Reporting/Investigating Fraudulent Acts.

1. Missing receipts
a. Vendors should be contacted to provide a duplicate receipt, if missing.

b. All receipts must be accounted for by the end of the billing cycle.

2. Receipts that are not itemized
a. An itemized receipt is required for each transaction recorded in SDOL. It is required even if the merchandise was subsequently returned or the service was subsequently cancelled.

b. An itemized receipt is a vendor-created document that includes the description, quantity, and amount of each item purchased, the name and address of the vendor, and the date of purchase.

c. Airfare/hotel/rental car receipts should also include traveler name and date(s) of service.

3. Receipt date or total do not match the SDOL transaction date or charge amount
a. This could indicate that the receipt does not belong to the SDOL charge.

4. Cardholder frequently claiming erroneous charges by vendors
a. This could indicate that someone else has access to the card or the cardholder has made personal charges.

b. Contact vendors. If they do not agree to reverse charges, complete a Statement of Disputed Item Form and submit it to Accounts Payable immediately.

5. Cardholder frequently claiming pending credits
a. Each credit claimed by the cardholder should be followed by an actual credit on the card, which is indicated in SDOL. Pending credits should be closely monitored by the College/Division Administrator or their designee.

b. If the vendor agreed to reverse a charge but a credit does not appear in SDOL by the end of the next billing cycle, complete the Statement of Disputed Item Form and submit it to Accounts Payable immediately.

6. Expense Report and backup documentation not uploaded to the Finance System within 30 days after billing cycle ends
a. This could indicate that receipts or other documentation are missing.

7. Transactions identified by Accounts Payable as having an unusual type of vendor
a. At the end of each month, AP emails the College/Division Administrators a list of P-Card and Travel Card transactions that were made with unusual vendors (e.g., department stores, etc.). The administrators should verify these transactions are legitimate.

a. If the PO/contract has been paid at least once and the remaining encumbrance needs to be liquidated, follow the “PO Finalize Instructions” on the Finance References page under “Cost Center Verification Toolkit.”

b. If the PO/contract will never be paid, contact Purchasing for regular PO’s and contracts and the Office of Contracts and Grants for research contracts, so they can cancel the encumbrance.

c. If the PO/contract amount needs to be increased or a cost center/account needs to be changed, contact Purchasing or OCG, so they can modify the PO/contract.

d. If the PO is for a copier lease/rental or Hi Ed (CourgarByte) purchase, notify Armand Villacorte (x35660 or avillaco@central.uh.edu) in Accounts Payable if a change is needed to the encumbrance. AP is responsible for paying these PO’s and liquidating any unneeded encumbrance.

Recent Changes and Additions to Travel Card Guidelines

III. CARDHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES

D. Disputed Charges

1. If an erroneous charge appears on the Expense Report, the cardholder must ask the vendor to reverse the charge.

2. If the vendor agrees to reverse the erroneous charge, the cardholder must write a memo indicating when the request was made and submit the memo to the department business office in lieu of an itemized receipt.

3. If the vendor refuses to reverse the erroneous charge or agrees to reverse the charge but does not do so by the end of the next billing cycle, the cardholder must complete the Statement of Disputed Item Form (Addendum D) and send the form to the Travel Card Program Coordinator in Accounts Payable immediately, who will forward the form to the bank. The bank requires that the dispute form be submitted to them no later than 60 days after the end of the billing cycle where the transaction originally appeared. The cardholder must submit a copy of the Statement of Disputed Item Form to the department business office in lieu of an itemized receipt.

F. Airfare Cancellations

1. If the airfare is refundable, the cardholder should verify that a credit appears in SDOL by the end of the next billing cycle.

2. If the airfare is non-refundable, the cardholder should notify the CDA (or designee) that the traveler can use the cancelled non-refundable ticket towards the next airfare purchase. The cancelled non-refundable ticket amount may be deducted from the next airfare purchase (exchange fees may apply).

IV. COLLEGE/DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

C. Billing Cycle Activities

7. Ensure that the full credit card number is not visible on any receipts or backup documentation before they are uploaded to the Finance System. Only the last four digits of the card number may be displayed on uploaded documents.

D. Monitoring Pending Credit

The CDA (or designee) must closely monitor credits claimed by the cardholder. Each pending credit claimed by the cardholder should be followed by an actual credit entry in the online bank system. The CDA (or designee) should also verify that the cardholder submits a Statement of Disputed Item Form to Accounts Payable in a timely manner, if required.

The complete Travel Guidelines are located at: http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/AP_Travel.htm

In addition:
a. Gift cards must be kept in a secure campus location (e.g., locked drawer or safe) until distributed.

b. The distribution of the gift cards/certificates must be documented, including date of distribution, name of recipient, and signature of recipient acknowledging the receipt. If the gift cards are for a confidential human subject study, the department must retain distribution records in their files for seven fiscal years after the grant expires. Otherwise, distribution records must be uploaded to the P-Card document page in the Finance System when the distribution is complete.
 
c. Someone other than the gift card custodian will review the gift card records at least once a month to verify that all distributed and undistributed gift cards are accounted for and will report any discrepancies to the College/Division Administrator.

d. If the department awards a gift card/certificate to an employee, the department is also responsible for reporting this amount to the Tax Department as the employee’s taxable benefit in accordance with SAM 03.D.06.

e. If the department awards a gift card/certificate to a non-employee and the total amount received by the non-employee in a calendar year is $600 or more, the department is responsible for submitting the non-employee’s W-9 Form and reporting the amount to Accounts Payable, so that the non-employee can be issued a Form 1099-MISC.

The above percentages include HUB-eligible voucher, P-Card, and HUB subcontractor payments for the first half of FY08. HUB subcontractor payments are included in the mid-year and annual reports.

March 2008

University of Houston HUB use for March 2008 = 15.21%

UH System Administration HUB use for March 2008 = 6.65%

UH/UHSA departments with 90% HUB use or higher that spent at least $100 in March 2008

The above percentages include HUB-eligible voucher and P-Card payments for March 2008. However, HUB subcontractor payments are not included in the monthly HUB statistics but are included in the semi-annual and annual HUB reports.

HUB reports by college/division and department are posted on the web at: http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/HUB_Reports.htm.

See the HUB Vendor Directory for a list of frequently-used HUB vendors: http://www.uh.edu/hub/.

You can also call Sandra Webb at x35662 or Alan Philips at x35671 if you need help finding a HUB vendor.

Countdown to PCD due date: As of April 1st - 61 days

FY08 PCD Checklists are due in Human Resources by June 1, 2008.

It is time to prepare for this year’s Performance Communication and Development (PCD) conversations. The PCD process summarizes an employee’s performance over the entire year. The rating period should be June 1, 2007 through May 1, 2008. If an employee is new to your department, the period should begin on the date the employee joined your team.

Attend Training
Human Resources is committed to ensuring leaders are satisfactorily trained to utilize the PCD. Training for supervisors will be conducted by our HR Generalists in partnership with staff council and other campus representatives. The training will be available as scheduled classes (http://uh.edu/hr/training) and tailored sessions for departments as needed.

Gather Information
In preparation for the PCD conversation, begin by gathering facts from:
• Last year’s PCD and this year’s chosen forms
• Records of formal and informal meetings with your employees throughout the year
• Notes of accomplishments and corrective actions throughout the year
• Employee – ask them to submit things they are proud of, such as goals met, software or skills learned, or initiative shown.

Schedule Meetings
Next, schedule a meeting with each employee allowing for adequate uninterrupted time to talk and listen. Plan ahead for vacations and other scheduled leaves. If you have many employees to meet with, distribute the meetings over the next two months to reduce your stress level.

Rate Performance
Review employee’s performance, work behaviors and progress toward goals based on the information collected. Use the PCD process to:
o Set new goals and measure ongoing goals
o Encourage performance improvement and reinforce effective performance
o Identify training and development opportunities


Complete Forms
Throughout the year, supervisors and employees communicate using the selected forms for guidance. The final meeting at the end of the year summarizes the performance for the year and documents the process using the PCD Checklist.

Submit Forms
Ensure the PCD Checklist and all appropriate forms are signed by the employee, supervisor and reviewing official. Submit the checklist and attachments to Human Resources by June 1, 2008.

Your HR Generalist can address any questions you may have about the PCD process. Please visit the HR website for more information and to download the PCD forms (http://uh.edu/hr/emprelations/PCD.htm).

Essentials of Leadership Coming Soon

In May 2008, the Human Resource Department will begin facilitating “Essentials of Leadership” training to supervisors across campus. “Essentials of Leadership” is a foundation course that teaches leaders how to get results through people. In the training, participants will acquire a set of proven interactions skills, learn to meet common management challenges, and learn how to inspire others to act. Once you’ve attended this pre-requisite course, you are eligible to participate in various future courses that will be made available as part of the Supervisor Training series.

Initially, the course will be delivered to groups or teams of supervisors working within the same area or department. Department Managers interested in facilitating training in their area should contact their designated HR Generalist for more information.

Identifying and Hiring Top-Performing Employees Training coming soon!

A good interview and selection process is an investment.  That’s why the HR Employment Department has spent the last several months designing and developing a training program to assist managers with hiring responsibilities. The training will be rolling out in early May 2008.

The interview is generally the first impression of a future employee, and that process can set the tone for the future working relationship. Using a systematic and consistent method during the selection process will greatly increase the chances that you and your new employee will have a mutually beneficial relationship over the long term.

It is the goal and responsibility of the Employment Department to assist and ensure that all departments within the University of Houston identify and hire the most qualified candidate for their open positions. The purpose of this training is to assist and guide hiring managers through the recruiting and hiring process. We also want to greatly minimize any legal ramifications that could result from any inadvertent discriminatory practices.

Please contact your HR Generalist or Employment Recruiter to set up a time for us to come by and deliver the training program to the hiring managers in your departments. Until we are able to reach everyone, please consider using our online manager’s toolbox resource at http://www.uh.edu/hr/employment/toolbox/ManagersToolBox.htm.
 

Pre-collection for Faculty & Grad-Students on a 9/9 Pay Cycle

This is a reminder of the upcoming change to all faculty and grad-students on a 9 pay 9 payroll schedule.  Due to their current contract pay option during the summer months, health insurance deductions will not be collected. However, in order to ensure continuous health insurance coverage during these months, their health insurance deductions will be pre-collected from their monthly May 1 and June 1, 2008 paychecks. This will allow the university to continue their insurance coverage during the summer.

New HR Form

By Carla Ponzio

We will have a new Person of Interest (POI) form available April 21, 2008. Persons of Interest are those individuals that have a relationship with the University of Houston but are not Students or paid Faculty/Staff. These individuals are sponsored by a department and the department is ultimately responsible for this individual’s access to university services. These university services include PeopleSoft, Web CT academic, UHS Online Training, TSS, CougarOne or Library services.

The new form will be located in SA/HR PeopleSoft, the navigation is UHS_HRMS_HR>Forms>POI. The form should be filled out and sent to Human Resources for data entry. As soon as the data is entered a PeopleSoft Id will be issued and the Human Resources office will notify the department of the new PeopleSoft Id number.

An Interface has been created that will feed nightly to the various services to create the account for the individual. If Peoplesoft access is required security forms will still need to be filled out, signed by certifying signatures and submitted to the Customer Service Center. The HR View class is still required for those needing PeopleSoft HR access. Please note that if access is needed to Student Administration/Human Resources PeopleSoft a social security number and valid email address is required.

Training for POI form completion will begin on April 14th, sign up will be available in P.A.S.S. Security will be added to everyone that has view access to PeopleSoft, so anyone may create the form. Please note that if access is needed to Student Administration/Human Resources PeopleSoft a social security number and valid email address is required.

ePAR Project Update

by Carla Ponzio

We are in the final stage of testing the Hire form and the Job Change forms of ePAR. The new security set up will be implemented April 10, 2008. Security will be restricted to permission lists created for your division/college or department depending on your current security role. We will start our User Acceptance Testing this month. We are pleased that the College of Liberal Arts will participate in the pilot production program. Shortly after successful testing, we will start training classes and begin the phased roll out for the campuses. After everyone has been initially trained, the new ePAR Class schedule will be posted in P.A.S.S. for new users.